Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The best adventure of my life! Past Review

By (Neurobiology and Neurosciences., Trinity University) - abroad from 07/07/2012 to 11/17/2012 with

James Cook University - Townsville: Townsville - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made lifelong friendships with people from all over the world that I would have otherwise not had a chance to meet. I learned that I really love to travel and learned how to be flexible in some areas and yet firm in my core beliefs. I learned how to budget my money and how to let go when necessary and splurge on once in a lifetime experiences. It was completely worthwhile!

Review Photos

James Cook University - Townsville: Townsville - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I would say Trinity is a pretty rigorous school academically. With that being said, I think most schools abroad are a step down in intensity. JCU was not an exception. I did take 2 upper division biology courses while abroad, but the workload was definitely still manageable.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were friendly, but there were a couple of hiccups that they never took care of; they seemed a little unorganized.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

I did not have a meal plan, so I cooked for myself.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It wasn't always easy to get to know Aussies but they were friendly whenever I initiated contact.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Health insurance was required

* Safety:

I felt extremely safe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Australia is expensive and although I tried to get a job I was not able to.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? About $100 a week not including any special trips
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Pick and choose the types of experiences you want out of your study abroad experience. For me, that meant not spending money on activities that I could easily do at home (like going to the movie theater). Be cheap with groceries so you can allow yourself to splurge on an outing or meal later.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Meeting great people
  • orientation week
  • having one planned trip
* What could be improved?
  • Organization
  • Communication
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Whenever program trips don't go as planned, you don't necessarily get a refund or a new trip to make up for it. We had transportation issues (our van broke down) and so our planned Arcadia weekend excursion was cut short. We were promised a new activity/outing to make up for it as we did not get to experience the indigenous ceremony that was promised, but it was never made up. Also, there was a substantially large maintenance/housing fee charged to my account at the very end of the program that I was not expecting. I wish they would have at least charged it to my account earlier (rather than at the very end of my trip) so I could have budgeted with this in mind.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.